The best things to do in Autumn

I’ve said it before, and I’m going to do it again: I love autumn! I love the cold mornings, the beautiful red and brown colours, the cosy evenings at home, and the windy, rainy days. Everything about it makes me happy. But whether you are a fan like me, or are just trying to get through the season, here are some things you just can’t miss out on.

Drink lots and lots of tea

Colder days just scream for endless cups of tea. They are comforting and warming and form the best excuse for having a nice long chat with your family/roommate/friends/colleagues. You can’t rush the cooling of the tea, right?

My favourite tea flavours at the moment are:

Orange Spice from Numi

Chocolate Chili from Yogi

Three cinnamon from Pukka

Orange and cinnamon from Twinings

Go out for a walk in the rain

Walking in the rain? Just keep smiling!

Okay, so maybe not everyone gets as excited about this as me. Most of you probably won’t. But please do give it a try. The world looks so different covered in raindrops, it smells different too. If you will just take a bit of time to appreciate that, instead of rushing home, you will see so much more. As Melissa Harrison so fittingly describes in her book “rain”:

“I think we need the weather, in all its forms, to feel fully human … To experience the countryside on fair days and never foul is to understand only half of its story. To watch rain pock the surface of a chalk stream, feel mizzle on the chill skin of your face or smell petrichor rising from summer-dry soil is to be baptised into a fuller, older, and more deeply felt relationship with the natural world.”

And of course, afterwards you can come home to a set of dry clothes and some warming food and drinks, which makes up for a lot as well.

Bake an apple pie

There are few things that make a house smell better than baking an apple pie. Honestly, no matter what recipe you use, warm apples and apple pie spice combined make for the most delicious smell. Let them simmer in the oven for almost an hour and your house is guaranteed to be scented for at least a day.

Oh, and of course you can also eat the pie after that. That is almost as good as the smell.

Start looking out for Christmas presents

I like to plan in advance. With basically everything, really. But when it comes to Christmas (or in my case, Sinterklaas) shopping, I think preparation is especially important. And just so much fun! You can get in the holiday spirit already by thinking of the presents you are going to give and how happy it will make the people receiving them.

And when you start early, you have all the time in the world to find that absolutely perfect gift. No more stressing and running around the last few days, and then having to compromise because you can’t really find anything suitable. This year, you will be spared of all that, because your presents are all ready in advance.

Collect fallen leaves

It is perfectly okay for grown-ups to collect fallen leaves. They are simply gorgeous, so why wouldn’t you? Try to find a few undamaged, brightly coloured leaves and carefully dry them at home. (You can use a real plant press, or just put them between two sheets of tissue paper in a heavy book.) Then put them on display in a frame, use them to make art or just hang them on a chord.
They are guaranteed to bring a happy autumn-vibe to your home.